Improvement in piano-fortes



UNITED STATES PATENT @Errea CHRISTIAN F. T. STEIN WAY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN PIANO-FORTES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 178,565., dated June 13, 1876 application filed A May 13, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1,(JHRISTIAN FR. TnEoDoE STEINWAY, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Construction of Piano- Fortes, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure l represents a sectional side View. Fig. 2 is a front view. Fig. 3 is a section of a grand piano constructed according to my invention on a smaller scale than the previous figures.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

This invention consists in the combination of a removable nut with the nose-bolt, which connects the metal frame of a piano-forte with the wooden case, so that if the nose-bolt becomes broken or injured it can be readily removed and replaced by another without removing the metal frame; also, in a nose-bolt which extends through the brace ofthe metal frame of a piano-forte, and is provided with a head for the reception of a wrench or key, so that the metal frame can be readily adjusted in the required position; further, in the com bination, with the nose-bolt and with its head, of a cup-shaped nut, which embraces said head and leaves room for the application of the wrench or key. 4

In the drawing', the letter A designates the nose-bolt, which serves to unite the metal frame of a piano-forte with the wooden case.

Heretot'ore these nosebolts were made to screw into the wooden beams B ot' the case, their shanks being square or polygonal for the application of a suitable Wrench. The

brace C ofthe metal frame rests on a shoulder,

' a, of the shank, and the upper end of said In order to obviate these disadvantages, I have combined with the nose-bolt A a nut, D, which is secured tothe wooden beam B of the case by a series ot' screws, b b.

This nut has several advantages. In the first place it can be made of hard wood, and provided with a perfect screw-thread, s0 that it gives a good hold to the nose-bolt, whereas the beams B are usuallymade of pine wood, and the screw-threads formed thereon are liable to break oii', and to -get worn out in a short time 5 furthermore, ifthe nose-bolt snaps, which happens sometimes, the nut D can be readily unfastened, and the broken nose-bolt can be taken out from below vand replaced by another without difficulty. If the nose-bolt has been screwed into the wooden beam itself,

it can only be taken out from abovean operation which cannot be accomplished without removing the metal frame and portions of the strings.

The metalbraces are situated in the direction of the strings, which expand inthe shape of a fan, so that their strain diverges from the direction of the metal braces, and a lateral strain is thus exerted ou these braces. The Wooden beams are so situated that they support this lateral strain, and by means of my removable nut I am enabled to apply two nose-bolts to each metal brace and the corresponding wooden beam, notwithstanding the fact that the beam runs in a different direction from the brace.

My nose-bolt is provided at its upper end with a head, o, ot' suitable form for the reception of a key or wrench, said head being, by preference, made of such a form that the ordinary tuning-wrench can be applied to it.

By these means I am enabled to turn the nose-bolt in or out afterv the metal frame has been put on, and the position of said metal frame can be easily regulated, so as to adjust the pressure of the strings on the soundingboard.

The nut E, which serves to fasten themetal frame on the nose-bolt, is made cup shaped'. so that its upper end embraces the head c o r' the nose-bolt, leaving room for the application of the wrench or key; at the vsame time said nut gives a finish to the whole.

In practice, two nose-bolts are secured in each brace of the metal frame, as indicated in Fig. 3 of the drawing.

, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent isl. The combination of a removable nut, D, with the nose-bolt A, which serves to unite the metal frame of a piano-forte With the Wooden ease, substantially as shown and de-` scribed.

2. The combination and arrangement of a head, c, for the reception of a wrench or key,

on the upper end ofthe nose-boit A, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of a cup-shaped nut, E, with the nose-bolt A and its head c, substantially as shown and described;

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 10th day of May, 1876.

G. IT. THEODOR STEINWAY. [L. s.]

Witnesses W. HAUFF, RoB'r. E. MILLER. 

